III-THE BOUNDARY NORTH OF FORT YUKON
BY
J. HENRY TURNER
There is perhaps no portion of the vast territory of Alaska so
little known as the country stretching northward from fort Yukon
to the Arctic ocean, eastward to the international boundary, and
westward to the headwaters of Koyukuk river. Simpson and
Franklin skirted its northern shore, Allen penetrated into it a
short distance, and Stoney proved the existence of a mountain
range trending to the eastward. Notwithstanding the fact that
the summits of lofty mountains are visible in the horizon to the
north of fort Yukon, the impression has long prevailed that the
river plains extend to the shores of the frozen ocean. This idea
has even been advanced by an explorer of note within the last
few years. Travelers have sedulously avoided this region for the
obvious reason that the supposed absence of navigable rivers and
remoteness of trading posts and other means of communication
with the outer world would render it peculiarly unsuited for
summer exploration.
It is believed that certain discoveries made during a journey
northward from camp Colonna in the spring of 1890 will throw
considerable light on the geography of this terra incognita. I
shall take occasion to revert to this question in closing my re
marks.
Mr McGrath has already described the river from its mouth to
old fort Yukon, at which point the two parties separated. On
August 3 the steamer Yukon, with the Porcupine River party and
its supplies aboard, left fort Yukon and three days thereafter
reached camp Tittmantl, the then head of navigation, distant 158
miles from the mouth of the river. The time of arrival was un
avoidably ill chosen, as the July droughts had reduced the stream
to its lowest summer ebb.
Observations placed camp Tittman 39 miles west of the bound
ary. Captain Peterson refused to tarry, since the river was still
falling, as plainly indicated by wet lines along the banks and
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